From realms beyond
by A.J.RITE
Summary: On the way home from a concert the Lolirock's get into fight with a deadly stranger. Which sends them on a path of discovering the lost history from kingdoms of myths, but they aren't the only ones interested in such knowledge.
1. Chapter 1: A late night battle

Chapter 1: A late night battle

The street light's beamed brightly Iris and her four friends walked home from a LoliRock concert. "Wasn't tonight's show great?" Iris jumped around to walk backwards to look at her friends.

"Yeah, but I'm so tired." Talia tilled her head back to the starless sky and giving a massive yawn.

"I think you girls performance was simply splendid." Lyna complimented taking small light steps that she had been trained to do.

"Aw thanks." Auriana beamed trying to walk backwards with Iris, but gave up after almost tripping

Iris turned around her blond hair swishing in the breeze. "So when do you guy want to start practicing?" She tilted her head to Lyna and Carissa

Carissa jumped at the question her fish tail braid slapping against her back. "For what? Combat!"

"No music."Lyna crossed her arms in a huff "They want us to be in the band."

"Oh." The red-haired warrior princess said embarrassed, before brush it off with a cool expression "Whenever you guys like, but we really brush up on our combat skills."

Auriana blinked her big green eyes "Why, everything so peaceful, we haven't seen the twins for weeks." She smiled at two princesses.

"That actually worries me." Talia said taking the sudden clam, after their battle with Gramorr only to be an omen of bad things to come.

Iris just smiled and shrugged, not sure what think of lack of Maphisto and Praxina, but she couldn't deny Auriana about how peaceful almost hopeful it was. She looked at a series of bushes flowers still blooming despite being night.

She looked down and cupped her pendent glowing bright and shockingly hot.

"What is this?" Iris heard Lyna say, turning to see Lyna's hair pin was also glowing but it wasn't just her. Talia and Carissa bracelet's, even Auriana ring was emitting light.

The girls tried to shield their eyes from the uncontrollable light, sending a star burst of magic into the air with a firework crack. The sudden bust of light and sound left quickly enveloping their whole in a dim stillness.

"Was anyone else freaked out by that?" Auriana ask breaking the silent.

"Yes?" Lyna whispered back looking at the other princess in the faint moon light.

Iris looked about the street "Wow." She whispered to her friends, amazed at the dark sky line of the surrounding town. "Did we do that?" her blue eyes amplify her shock at the sight.

"Why are you guys whispering?" Carissa tilted her not registering the oddness of the black out.

The other four collectively "shh" her as an echoing clip-clop sound of hooves against pavement.

"Amaru?" Iris whispered into her bag, the furry animal huddled inside shaking his head to her. Iris looked outline of a horse and rider approaching and gaining speed, an unnatural energy radiating out from the figure, coating the street and girls in a dark aura.

"Okay on three." Talia turns to the group deadly serious. "One, two, three."

"Iris, Princess of Ephedia!"

"Lyna, Princess of Borealis!"

"Carissa, Princess of Calix!"

"Auriana, Volta!"

"Talia, Princess of Xeris!"

With a rainbow of magic and color, the five Princesses transformed in time to doge a black blur of horse and rider. The shadowy figure halted their steed making the equine rear up silently on its hind legs.

The girl's eyes wind seeing in full detail the figure. A knight armored in jagged black gem stone, shining a slick gray in the moon light, Lyna gasped being the first the crystal that adorn its breast-plate. A blood maroon color, sharp and uncut, like it should have still been growing on the wall of some deep Ephedian cave. The knight's steed was an equally shocking striped black and with like a Zebra with red rings around black expressionless eye. Its long ragged mane tangled between the armored fingers of its rider, along with curved fangs reach down from its snout. Bare of saddle and bridle, the only signifier of the beast wasn't feral was a loose medallion that swayed around its neck. The medallion also had an identical crystal as the one knight bore.

"Hail!" The maroon crystals glowed with dark palpable energy, as the knight spoke voice dark and bitter.

The five princess looked between each other, before Talia spoke first "Hello?"

The armored dismounted and slowly approached the group "You are of royal blood, are you not?"

"We are." Talia answered the other four princesses taking defensive stances.

The knight helmet completely covered its face leaving a black mirror like surface, reflecting Talia's face as she gazed into it.

"And you are?" Carissa asked looking eager to wallop the stranger with her twin clubs.

The knight tilted its head to her "My name?" It said blank and unsure.

"My master'sss name cannot be ssspoken in the pressence of royalty." A voice that sound like a leaky balloon broke the growing stillness. The five girls jumped hearing the unnatural vocals, Iris eyes shot the striped equine a dim glow around its medallion.

"It talks!" She almost screamed as the beast moved be side its rider.

"My name iss Intrepid, give to me by my humble leader." The creature snorted and nuzzled the knights side, who promptly petted Intrepid snout.

"What's wrong with your name?"Auriana asked with honest curiosity.

The knight lowered its head before giving a grave answer "It cursed, just like the realm I serve under."

"Um hum." Lyna gave a disapproving noise caching everyone's attention "Hi." She returned to her sweet tone. "Your kingdom would happen to be Jewlrestdom would it?"

"Yes." Lyna quietly looked away at the knight's answer. The rest of the girl gave her a strange glance never hearing of such a realm.

"What are you doing on earth then?" Auriana asked the knight who was intently stroking Intrepid's mane.

The knight rise their head to the five girls "By a royals magic the curse befell my land, only by a royals magic can it be undone."

"So you want us to help you?" Iris said wanting to approach the stranger to comfort them, but the lingering negative energy kept her away.

The knight shook its head. "That is unnecessary, all I need is the crystals from your kingdom."

"I'm sorry but can't give you them." Talia spoked up believing the stranger was asking for the crystals that allows them to transform.

Carissa quickly picked up the thought in the Xerin princess expression "We are on our own mission, to free own realms and we can't give that up to save yours."

A long sigh escaped the armor stranger, empty and depressed "I see, you will not give me what I seek."

"We're sorry sir." The knight did not respond to Iris's apology crawling up and to Intrepid's back and trot off.

The girls gave a collective sigh, as the stranger started to move down the blacken street.

Talia then shot her hand up lighting quick, her wand posed and ready for battle. Iris and other looked over to the knight, one dark armored arm stretched out to the side.

Gasps of horror escaped the princesses' lips; as a deep maroon veins laced up from the crystal on their chest to its armored fingered tips. The black gemstone being to crack and break moving on its own making the arm more narrow and cylindrical forcing the entire arm in to the form of a jagged lance.

Then with a quick effortless movement the knight and steed looped around bone furiously to the five girls.

"Crystarmum!" Auriana showed summoning a shield of orange crystal to protect them from the oncoming threat. The knights lance impending itself in the shield with a sickening crack. Talia immediately propelled herself over the shield with her wand swinging the staff longed wand over her head and smashing it into the warrior's helmet.

The knight stiffly turns in head up to her and smacked her to the ground with its free hand. The stone covered warrior removed its malformed arm from the shield, shattering the orange barrier.

Talia rolled on the road before landing on her knees, as the dark warrior dismounted moving towards her.

"Don't worry Tal I got you." Auriana called out to her friend using her ribbon to hold back the knight. Carissa quickly took the opportunity to pound away, making the warrior stagger. Giving the remaining three princesses and opening to pelt the warrior with crystals.

"Go back to Gramorr, you brute!" Lyna shouted down at the gem clad warrior.

The knights head shot up and asked the princesses with such honesty, it halted their attack "Who is Gramorr?"

Iris tilled her head unsure how to respond, if she should respond. 'This guy's got to lying, the damage Gramorr has done impacted too many realms, for him not to know.' In the mitts of her confusion she heard a gaspingwhinny and the sound ripping fabric.

With a quick turn of her head she the beast Intrepid, with Amaru hanging terrified from the shredded reminds of Iris's bag between the equine's fangs. "Let him go!" she ran in a rage, saber drawn as a thick mist rolled in.

Intrepid let out a crackling wheeze, shaking off the remains of the bag, stamping his hooves wildly. Iris continued on intent on slashing the beast for trying to harm her friends. The horse creature stood upon his hind legs, slamming them down with such power creaking the narrow stretch of street between them. Sprouting up a small serrated wall black crystal, blocking Iris's blead.

"Intrepid flee!" the knight commanded over waves of fog.

"M-masster…" Intrepid stamped in place, fright coming through the hissing voice.

"I, said, go!" Intrepid snorted spun around taking off from the blacken street the speed of a bullet.

Darkness completely swallowed Iris's vision as the fog steeled on the street. "Over here quickly." She heared Auriana's voice called through the blackness. Iris's moved through inky world around her arms outstretched to navigate her way the voice of her friend. Gratefully she felt the soft hand of one her fellow princesses. Being pulled close she could make out the lines of Auriana, Talia, Lyna, Carissa, even Amaru huddled together in the blackness.

"Can anyone dispel the fog?" Iris asked unable to see her friend's faces.

"We tried, its magic." The tense voice of Lyna squeaked looking at something unseen to Iris.

"Isn't there a counter spell?"

Talia's head turned to Iris "Not off the top of my head, now shh."

As Iris stood there in the darkness, she finally understood what had her friends on edge. Heavy thudding footsteps of the knight prowling the black mist. Iris's heart pounded in her ear's at how trapped she felt, if Amaru transformed, or one of them casted a spell their lactation would be given away and be attacked.

"On the count of five I need you to duck." A soft male voice whispered behind the girls.

"Who's talking?"

"One."

"Stop touching me."

"That wasn't me."

"Two."

"Can we trust you?" Iris whispered the voice that seemed everywhere at once.

"Trust me I've been protecting you from this man for a long time, four." The voice answered.

"Wait what happened to three."

Iris turned to that she thought was source of voice and saw a pair of the gold brown color of marmalade. Which were staring right at her, this such a warmth she knew everything would be fine.

"Five."

Iris reached out grabbing Auriana's and Carissa's arms pulling them to their knees, Talia and Lyna following suit as a gust of wind whipped around the group. The fog moving away settling thick and heavy around knight trapping the gemstone warrior.

"starsharilmim!" The voice slurred in a masculine tone, a beam of cyan light spiraling the cloud. Bright flashes lighting and clapping thunder enhancing the screams of pain from the captive within the magical induced storm.

The girls looked up to see the source of the spell. "Wow." Lyna said being first to see to the young man standing in a magic circle of light blue energy. Hair a golden bronze with two strikes of hair colored the same blue as the circle and dressed in white with looping blue and gold designs with a flowing cape drape over one shoulder inlaid gems the color of sunrise. The five princess could tell the man with in the circle, creating healing breezing the pushed back the evil aura with a soft-spoken spell, was clearly an ally.

Talia honey colored eyes winded in a wave of recognition "I can't believe it." Her voice was a whisper, easily heard by the rest of the group.

Before Iris or anyone could ask, Aurian shot to her feet and started to shout at the new stranger "Hi I'm Auriana, Princess of Volta and you're really hot!"

"Hu?" He looked over at her break the focused on spell that kept the dark knight trapped. "How'd you like being powered washed, Rock head?" The spell caster turned his focus to the warrior, whose armor was seemingly unmarred by the storm.

The knight let out a ragged panting sound, raising one hand to the sky with its crystal glowing mischievously. The Princesses and white-clad savor readying themselves for an attack, instead the light of the moon was block momentarily a feathery streamlined creature swooped down snatching the warriors arm up in its bestial talons. Then birdlike monstrosity then darted back into the black sky effort carrying the warrior to its escape.

The male gritted his teeth at the knight's escape, wind whipping around him as he began to levitate to pursue the mammoth sized bird. "Wait!" Talia grabbed the stranger's wrist stopping him.

"I have to go after him." He looked down at her with concerned amber eyes.

Talia didn't falter and pulled the young man to the ground "How are you?" her voice stern.

The young man smiled at her with a deep understanding "Soren." He answered and started to take off once more "It okay , now that you've seen me, you'll find me again." He said down to the group.

"How?" Iris asks up to him.

The spell caster smiled mischievously at the Ephedian Princess "You'll see." And with a gust of cyan wind he had disappeared into the night air.

Praxina crossed her arm trying to hide the fact that she was freezing on top of the darken building, as her brother and her watched the five princess from above. "You're sure want us to go after the Knight guy?" She look over at the dark crystal spire with Gramorr visage staring back at her.

"Yes, I want you to bring him to me alive and tolerable to talk to." Gramorr responded.

"So when you mean tolerable you mean like?" Maphisto asked only half paying attention to the events that just unfolded.

"That we can have conversation, without one wanting to kill the other."

'Oh boy, good luck with that.' Praxina thought, between Gramorr's natural temperament and that the stone warrior became more than willing to kill of five princess after being told no. It would be a miracle if the stone warrior and grand wizard last five-minute before going at each other's throats.

"Don't worry we got this." The confidences in her twin's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Maphisto!" she glared at Maphisto trying to keep her voice low.

"Good." Gramorr stated not hearing or acknowledging Praxina's outburst "Oracle Gem are still priority do not waste time to chasing after him."

"Understood." Praxina nodded.

"Don't worry Boss we got this."

Gramorr nodded back as the images Maphisto and Praxina disappeared from two crystal spires. "I assume you'll take on this mission with some competence?" he turned to a third spire to his side where a projection of a young man with icy blue eye, and white hair smirking at Gramorr.

"Don't worry, I'll bring you your tin solider." Lev smiled before his image too disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2: Circle of Friends

Chapter 2: Bonds of Magic (the circle of friends)

The five-princess stood in the library, after a sleepless night they convened to talk about they're strange encounter. Iris looked between Lyna and Talia, the two seeming to know the most Information about Soren and the wicked dark knight. She watched the two wander around and being generally untalkative. "Once again that disgusting brut is not a knight!" Carissa shouted in the enjoying a growing debate with Auriana "He has no honor, no discipline in his fighting." She smiled elated at her own statement.

Auriana frowned her browse at her statement "But, he wore armor, sure not in traditional Ephedian metal or style." She answered in a confused tone "Yet a knight none the less." She pursed her lips and crossed her arms

"Jewlrestdom didn't have knights, they had soldiers yes but, not in the we use them today." Lyna corrected them then quickly looked away

Iris perked up "Maybe you tell us about Jewlrestdom, since you seem to know the most about that place?" she asked move than willing to finally understand what happend last night.

Lyna looked at her flustered then seeing the other three looking at her curiously, she composed herself "I'm mean I never thought Jewlrestdom was an actual place, it's a story the princesses of Borealis learn to keep them on path of good." She blinked as if embarrassed.

"so, tell us the story. Is there a kiss at the end?" Auriana said in an encouraging, curious tone.

"no, it's long sad story about one piece of advice that destroyed an empire." She kept a soft composed tone as she frowned.

"Give us the short hand version." Talia nodded clearly paying attention.

Lyna gave a tired sigh before she began to explained "So Jewlrestdom was a kingdom somewhere in ocean north of Borealis." She explained gesturing to try to get her words across "It was a massive kingdom when Ephedia was very, very young." She paused thinking of relative information "it was considered the birth place of the study of magic and was the first kingdom to have a court wizard."

"this is the short version?" Carissa yawned uninterested with her front loading.

"Just thought some set up would be useful, but okay." Lyna muttered in response, before continuing "The Jewlrestdom royal family source of power came from artifacts call the crown jewels, stones filled wild magic that would be tuned by a wizard's power."

"So, like the Oracle Gems?" Iris asked stopping her once more.

Lyna titled her head to the side like she never thought about it. "Not really? Jewlrestdom crown jewels were depicted a being a large as dinner plates." She blinked remembering more details "and Jewlrestdom magic as advance as it was back in ancient Ephedia, is weak and rudimentary today. The simplest spell we do on the daily would blow any of their spells out of the water."

Lyna gave herself a short nodded before continuing the tale "So, the story, the last royal family in Jewlrestdom had four daughters the eldest two being the king and queens, the other two were gifts."

Iris's jaw dropped at the statement "Gifts?!" she looked about the room confused.

Lyna narrowed her eyes and sighed "Unless you want to get into ancient Ephedian politics you won't think too hard about it."

Iris nodded yet was still confused by what Lyna said or how gifting children to other families makes any sense.

"The eldest princess was a described as a heathen, she disregarded the virtues of the time which made her unpopular with the people." Lyna picked back up the story in an educate cool voice "The court wizards convinced king and queen to disown her as heir to kingdom and exiled her, in responded."

"Let me guess her came back years later, and wanted her place on throne with evil powers under her belt." Talia comment dryly playing with playing a lock of her hair.

"Not evil, wild." Lyna corrected briefly "She had managed to find a certain crystal held a massive amount passive untamed energy." She looked at the group with gave seriousness "The same crystal, that if I'm correct, is the same one the knight now has."

Aurina waved her hand bouncing in place "What about the talking, anim-monster?" she corrected herself, unsure how to label the creature Intrepid. Amaru poked his head out of the corner he was resting in as if suddenly interested the LoliRocks conversation.

"That's a Jewlrestdom thing, they believed power could be multiplied by dividing it, so close companions such as pets and family being vessels for such divisions." Lyna answered the question nonchalantly "It's such a strange concept of magic, and I don't think anyone ever since has tried to test it."

"Is Jewlrestdom really cursed?" Iris asked wanting to get to the center of the issue.

"I didn't think Jewlrestdom was even real, there are no maps that show where it would be." Lyna shrugged her face showing that couldn't answer that question.

"So, the knight's evil 'till proven otherwise." Carissa stated, as the other nodded even if the knight's intention could be good, the origin of its power were not as morally sound.

"While we're on the topic of judging people, I vote on keeping Soren."Aurina interjected with a playful smile.

"First whose parents sent him, he's obviously somebody's guard." Carissa grumbled not impressed by the stranger's heroics.

Aurina gave the warrior princess a hard look "Excuse me? All our parents are at the bottom of Gramorr's dungeons." Her voice was nearly a shriek, as Carissa recoiled in shock "if my family had him in their service they would have used him to get my siblings out of that awful place, not running interference so we never meet a guy with a talking horse monster!"

Carissa stared at Aurina mouth half-open then looked down guilty for her previous statement.

The tensions in the room snapped as Talia spoke up "It's me!" the usually well composed member of their team, looking flustered if not completely embarrassed.

"Really Tali? You know him?" Iris asked wanting her friend to confirm what she suspected since last night.

Talia looked at her as if she had spoken in another language "No, of course not." She answered in a blunt tone "I think it's because of karmic debt."

The other looked a Talia confused as she blew a stand of hair out of face clearly exasperated as walked to bookshelf. Roughly shuffling around ancient tomes looking for something specific, then pulled out a large worn out book blowing off the layer of dust that came with it.

"Let me explain." Talia placed the book on the nearest pedestal for everyone to see her flipped through pages of hieroglyphic imagery and faded runic scripts "Long ago some Xerins encountered a strange machine from with people inside that said they came from the sky." She stopped on a page with a worn out sketches of tall willowy people, long flat protrusion like the wing on a dragonfly hanging off their backs and shoulders "With castles the size of mountains, and an army of the mechanical men." She carefully traced the outline of one the figures as the group listened "We help repair what was called an 'air ship' and by that they declared our kindness would be repaid." She closed the book abruptly as Lyna hand encroached on the page, Talia was staring at fondly "Then they just disappeared, then with each passing century the sky people kind of just became a myth."

"If the." Carissa stopped swallowing a giggled "'Sky people' are a myth; then how do you know that he's one of them?"

"His magic." Talia hugged book the before putting it back on a shelf "The sky people could send down lighting with a single word, and clam storms with their touch. Soren has weather base magic it makes the most sense."

"Well if meet him again we'll ask just him." Lyna said eyeing the book that was almost closed on her fingers enviously.

Talia just nodded as the room fell into a somber quiet. Each piecing together the information now divulges. New enemies? New allies?

Was the knight aware of the Oracle gems? If not, what would knight go away them instead of their own gems?

Aurina's ever cheery yet somewhat bored voice was the first break the silent "All pondering has my gloomy, let go shopping and get some smoothies guys."

Iris blushed "I'd like that." She nodded thinking about a certain someone who she wanted to see for a while.

"Oh, you girls going out? Don't forget I got tickets for all of us to see Swan Lake tonight." Aunt Ellen chimed at the girls as they left the practice room.

Iris turned to her aunt and waved as she spoke "Don't worry we'll be back in time." She smiled before heading out the door with the rest of her friends.

"Why do we need tickets to see a lake?" Carissa asked

"No." Iris laughed "Swan Lake is a ballet, it's a type of dance used to tell a story." She began to walk to the smoothie bar.

Talia furrowed her brow "are you sure we let you know who around anymore earth stories?"

"Hey what I did was helpful!" Aurina blurted completely aware what she was talking about

"Yes, but having hundreds of amphibious animals in your room in hopes finding a boyfriend was a bit extreme." Talia smirked as the group stifled giggles

Aurina's face redden with abasement "it was worth a shot." She muttered playing with her fingers.

A short walk and light banter later the LoilRocks enter the smoothie bar, one of their songs finishing from a nearby stereo. "Hey there girls." The green-eyed, dark-haired waiter called to them from the other side of the bar.

Iris grinned walking over to him "Hey Nathaniel." She tried to suppress the warm sensation bubbling in her checks.

"What can I do for you?" He lends in to the bar the corners of his mouth upturned.

Before Iris could answer him, Aurina jumped in with her order "Oh! Oh! I want a smoothie the strawberry one!"

"Do you still have that tea, the one with the red flower?" Lyna asked next with barely a second between the other two.

"Hibiscus?" Nathaniel asked and the dark hair princess nodded remembering.

He then looked Iris who smiled nervously and just said "Just get me an iced latte please."

Nathaniel nodded and went to work on the girls orders as the group found a more comfortable place to relax. As time passed it was clear to each princess that other where in some way uncomfortable. "What if he attacks right now?" Carissa said in an octave lower than her normal voice.

Talia responded with the only answer she could give "Then we fight back, like we always do."

"Okay here's your -" Nathaniel looked at the girls gloomy and distressed faces "is everything alright?" he set the tray of drinks on a nearby coffee table.

"Um? Yeah we're fine." Iris answered in the most reassuring tone she could muster.

Nathaniel gave a short sigh before smiling "Ok? I'll be here if you need anything." It was clear he wasn't taking Iris's claim too seriously.

"Thanks Nat." Iris stated as the rest of the group echoed her sympathy as he walked away.

The girls took their drinks and lounged around trying to distract each other from their thoughts, then Talia stood up abruptly looking out the window.

"What wrong?" Aurina was the first to voice concern over Talia.

The honey eyed princess turned to the group, her voice was soft almost a whisper "I thought I saw a dewizzel?"

"Eww."

"No."

"Ha there aren't any of those on earth."

"What's a dewizzel?" Iris asked seeing the general disgust on her friend faces.

Talia opened her mouth to answer, before seeing something out of the corner of her eye "There it is again."

"Talia wait!" Lyna shouted as the Xerin princess bolted in to the street, chasing something the other couldn't see.

"What's a dewizzel?!" Iris shouted after Talia, seeing her dark hair whipping around a corner into a narrow dead end alleyway.

"That is." Talia finally answered as the other squeezed to the alley.

At first Iris didn't see the creature her friend had chased down, then she saw it peering out from a pile of trash. With an earless slim rat like head and glassy puss colored eyes, the rodent uncoiled its greasy black serpentine body as it crept out from its hiding place. Spiky patches of crystal glistening along its spine as it stretched and shook.

"What's it doing?" Iris watched the dewizzel as she tried to sooth Amaru who growled and snapped at the dirty rodent.

"Dewizzel's can smell magic, they have a tendency of making homes out of temple and palaces." Talia got one knee watching the Ephedia animal slink and wobble about "Their considered pests on mainland Ephedia." She summoned a magic circle in her hand, the dewizzel's piggish nose swiveling to her.

"So, it knows we're here?" Iris asked as it approached making Amaru more agitated forcing "why is it here?"

Talia gave the group a knowing look "can do you one better." She lifted hand, making the dewizzel extend its neck reveling a collar with a distinct maroon crystal.

There was a collective inhale and Amaru bolted towards the rodent, woofing and growling, making the Ephedian rodent squeal and shake. The dewizzel's body coiling like a spring as the princesses encroached to separate the two.

"Catch it!" Lyna shirked as dewizzel jumped it full body length into the air before zipping around Talia and Carissa's grasps.

"Gross, gross!" Aurina shank away shivering as the dewizzel's body twisted along legs before slipping out of the alley.

Not sparing a second with a calmed Amaru, the girls chased after the rodent. Casting minor spells in hopes of subduing the panicking creature, all with little or no effect, the dewizzel slipped through an ajar door to an abandoned looking warehouse. The five princesses looked at each other as an unnerving wave of magic pooling around them.

"Do you think?" Lyna looked at rest of the group.

"Ateruina" The eruption of red magic answered her more than the shrill voice what summoned

The group recoiled from a sound maroon explosion which they could only guess was the knight relation.

"Exbullo"

At the sound of Mephisto's the five princess unanimously transformed and busted into the warehouse weapons at the ready. "Ugh! Really! Really!" Praxina groaned from the place she floated above them, angered and exasperated at the LoliRocks arrival.

Mephisto made a shooing motion with his hands "go away princesses, we promise we'll bother you later." He teased from his preach on a metal rafter.

Twin streams black fire lashed out at Mephisto and Praxina forcing them to doge, before any of the princesses could return with a witty response "You're noisy chattering is bothersome!" The knight grumbled from across the room, a dewizzel on each shoulder maws dripping with wiggling tongues of flame. The stone warrior began to make its way out of the building scratching the dewizzels coats, squeaking and chattering in approval.

Praxina snarled "I told you not to leave!" She thrust her hands out funneling her rage for the stone warrior. Hurtling down a shower of crystal shards upon the unsuspecting knight.

"Crysta-Tectus!" The Princesses raised a barrier defending themselves as well the unaware knight.

The knight turned around taking what had transpired, before tilling its head in the direction of the princesses "why?" it asked with confusion petering off into a grumble.

"They're attacking you." Talia tossed back answer, though the question of why hanged in the air.

"It's not like we want to, he won't go with us to Garmorr." Mephisto voice was a whine as he explained, receiving a glare from his twin.

"oh really? I wonder why?" Carissa said snidely up at him.

The sound of claws against stone stopped the young sorcerer from making a response, Maphisto glared down at dewizzels gnawing and scratching the dark armor of the warrior.

"Yes, you may go." The knight spokes as if in middle of a conversation, veins energy spreading out from the crystal on their chest creating webbing across the knights jagged body. Symbol of a broken magic circle danced across the ground as a small vortex opened in the palm of its stone clad hand.

With elated squeaks two Ephedian rodents stampeder down the knights arm, falling in the vortex and disappearing into. "Now!" The knight crushed the vortex sealing the portal within, the of bright veins of magic cooling "I wish to leave, if not I well be forced to make this confrontation deadly." The tips of the warrior fingers becoming thinner, shaper.

Praxina tossed back her red locks unimpressed by the morphing armor "You're not going anywhere, until you have a word with our master."

The princesses dawned their weapons "Tell Garmorr this guy isn't interested." Auriana said up to the twins tensing her ribbon for battel.

"chattering." The knight grumbled once more crystal glowing with intense power

Iris looked behind her "Amaru?" she scanned the area to see the fuzzy feline setting patiently.

Then with a nod of understanding from Amaru he created the arena securing a safer place for the battel to continue.

The knight staggered at the sudden change in environment "What is-!" their words die as a swirling plast of magic blast them in the shoulder.

The twins chucked only to knocked out air by the princesses combined attack. Praxina recovering quickly after the fall as her younger brother went sliding across the field. The red-haired sorceress summoned her duel rapiers rushing at the knight to be interstice by Iris and Carissa. While Lyna and Auriana moved around to distract Maphisto who was quickly recovering.

Leaving Taila to approach the knight alone "Hey!" She shouted the stationary warrior, reflection distorting along the dark stone as she approached "is anyone in the-gaw!"

The cold stone fingers encircled her neck as she was slammed in to the arena floor. She gasped and winced as the full weight of the stone warrior pressed down on her chest. Her wand skidding just out of her reach as her visions blurred from the dark magic pressing down on her. 'what are you?' she thought up the knights blurred form.

"Do it, I dare you." Her eyes shot open as cold finger pulled at her wristband "What will your people think of you, putting a realm in jeopardy to save your own." She stared coldly into her reflection as the knight looked down at her. "You're a monster."

The image of the Xerin princess multiplied as cracks split the knights face plate. "N-No." the warrior recoiled as the cracks depend as breaking mirror smooth surface.

In rush of fury Taila rolled over, gripped her wand tightly. smacking it against the knight's head with an adrenaline filled blow. Every one turned their heads as chunk of heavy black stone, broke off the face plate like brittle glass.

Taila jumped back as felt a flood of vile, evil energy mixing the with feels of sorrow and rage that was too much for person to ever create. Her eyes watered as she saw, an eye peering out the hole she'd made in the thick armor. It stared out wide and panicked flicking about, as the knight's hands pulled violently at edges of the hole. The voice of the warrior now an unnatural stream of garbled tones, the wild crystal flashing in erratic rhythms.

Iris flicked her gaze between the knight doubling over and her allies and combatants; who stared on with mixed reaction.

"The crystal."

"The curse!"

Her fellow princesses shouted as the twins looked at each other in confused disgusted. The knight turned his attention the maroon crystal crawling and yank at the uncut gem with the intent of removing it. Talia the hold on her wand becoming shaky tried to reproach the knight. a stray blast of maroon magic knocking her back, as the knight crawled back armor continuing to break down.

Praxina let out a yell, seeing the stone stranger hand gripping the edge of the arena "Maphisto after him!" The Princesses already rushing having their own reasons for halting the escape.

The knight out of blind terror, the knight flings themselves off the edge. The force of wild crystal tearing at dimensional barriers of the arena and the outside world. Two massive talons ripping through the tear violent dragging the knight like a mere toy.

"grr! your princess ruin everything!" Maphisto growled at the tear before him and Praxina teleported ending the confrontation. Leaving the princes startled and confused.

"So why what do we do now?" Auriana asked a little nervously.

* * *

The setting sun cast long orange stripes along ground as Maphisto half searching for the knight. Half wasting time for his sister to convince Garmorr to change targets, or maybe giving up and just sticking to finding the oracle gems. After watching the breakdown of what he had assumed an ancient Ephedian warrior, his expectation of Garmorr could want from him blurred. Perhaps it was the crystal was what Garmorr was really seeking? The young sorcerer tried to justify his master's actions. The grand wizard tends to have a plan for everything, even back up plans when his sister and him constantly mess them up.

He stopped as he floated over a fallen branch. A common sight, but, the long scratches on the branch and against tree tops, made it clear he had stumbled crossed some sort of trail. He headed off down the damaged path intent find the source. Wisp of the feminine voice slowing his investigation, as his attention shifted to what he could only guess was an earthling. Singing? Deeper in the woods.

"I have sought to be both lamb and lion, heartache is the pain I tend to find."

It was a smooth ballad tune of a lullaby. Different from the cheery poppy music that the princesses would after their victories and most deaf honking that most human girls used to mimic them. He drifted as closer to singing preferring a simple distraction, over any progress in serving Garmorr's plans.

"Clamor overwhelms me and I wonder. _'What is there to be so loud about?'_ "

Maphisto pressed his back against a tree, he had gotten so close to the source of the singing. As sneakily as possibly he peaked around the tree, then pulled back his cheeks red with embarrassment. He bit his lip, heart pounding, mind and body in conflict with how to proceed. His mind losing out he swung his head around to fully take in the singer.

"I wouldn't shrink away and disappear. I don't want them to worship me or care that much at all, I only want to know they know I'm here."

His eye scanned the wet dripping curvatures of the, in his opinion, rather undressed singer. Long drench hair cling to the curves of her shoulders as long nimble legs played at the edge of an azure pool of water. Praxina would have surely blinded him by now, if was aware of what he was doing. Though his straight-laced twin wasn't there to remind him that he was only ogling a lowly human, after all.

"I don't want to shout above the babel, I'm not even sure what I would say."

The singer swayed her body to a melody only she could hear, Maphisto relaxed in his hiding place his emerald eyes half lidded he began to drift off. The nameless songstress words smothering him like a spell of numbing.

"Part of me has things she wants and wishes, part of me is worried she is wrong. Part of me is busy masquerading as a girl whose pieces get along."

A loud crack forced Maphisto back to full awareness, glancing down, he saw that he'd unknowing stepped on a rather loud twig. He muttered a burst of profanity noting that his little distraction had stopped her song.

"Hello? Is someone here?" The songstress looked about, her sweet melodic tone betraying the nervousness what marred her features.

He watched her wrapped arms around herself defensively shivering like a cornered animal. A conflicted and dirty feeling washed over him, he hadn't even made his presence known and he managed to this human make this distressed.

"It's okay, show yourself. Please, I'm scared." His distraction, looked about with wide eyes, as she slowly retreated into the water. As if that would save her if he really wanted to do harm.

The water began to roil and churn with magic, the human turns her attention to something in the water. "Melanosthro? Shh, it okay, I'm coming." She continued to wade into the water to the young sorcerer's amusement "I wasn't trying to leave you."

Mephisto stiffened as she looked straight him with sad tired expression be for diving under the frothing water. The pool calmed flattening down in seconds afterwards the magic soon died out as well. He teleported away now having something to report to Garmorr about.

* * *

Iris stared out the window as the sky went from preach to purple as the sun sank into the ocean. She sat dressed and ready to see the ballet, her hands rest on her journal debating whether to write some before she went out.

"Hey you ready to go?" Taila asked leaning in the door, a somber look on her face.

Iris nodded giving a distracted "yeah."

Talia nodded before speaking "I've been thinking, that maybe we should have went after him." She stared at her hands before tightening them into fists "I'm still trying figure out what sensed was haunting of the curse he mentioned."

"Can you be cursed to be haunted?" Iris asked then walked to her friend seeing Talia didn't hear her "it's not your fault Tali, we have to keep doing what we think is right."

The Xerin princess face softened pulling her into a hug.

A sudden weight on Iris's back knock the breath out her "Auriana!" She wheezed seeing the Voltan had joined the hug.

"No frowny faces guy." Auriana teased squeezing her friends tighter "we going to dance."

"If I remember were watching other people dance." Talia corrected as she broke off the hug.

"Girls are you ready? We should get going." Aunt Ellen called up the stairs, Lyna and Carssia voices bickering loudly in the background

"Coming." Iris called back the trio heading down the stair together.

At the ballet, the princesses watched with varying levels of interest. Carissa falling asleep within the minute of the lights being dimmed, and Auriana leaning a crossed her seat to ask question at every moment. Iris just watched and try to explain the story being acted out through dance. As intermission rolled around closing out the first and second act, Talia stood up moving to back stage entry.

"Where you going?" Iris whispered following her, Auriana close on her heels.

"Back stage, I think Soren is one of the dancers." Talia pressed her hand against a door which lead to a back area.

"Really?" Auriana asked, not recognizing the supposed sky person in the mired of dancer that where on stage.

Instead of explaining, Talia opened to door Iris and Auriana slipping inside with her.

"That are you girls doing back here?" A booming made them jump, as a burly security guard marched up to them.

Talia flinched and looked around "oh? Hi we're looking for a friend he one of the performers." She looked at the guard with a big grin.

The guard crossed his arms an eyebrow raised "Oh, really what his name."

"Soren." Auriana squeaked hoping that the name they were given was real.

The guard let out short "of course, you are, what you didn't bring him flowers." He gave the girls a dismissive look "or do you want a reason to come back later."

The three girls just smiled nervously, not understanding the sudden change in the guards demeanor. "Down the hall he's the only dancer unpaid dancer with a dressing room."

The three princesses began to book it in the general direction, the guard gestured.

"Also!" they stopped as he followed them pulling out a pen and small notepad "Can I get your autographs's; my daughter absolutely loves your music." He held pen and pad out Iris and her friends, who happily put their sinister and messages on the paper. "Make sure your back in your seats before the show starts back up." The guard whispered.

"Thank you so much." Iris smiled back, as went off with her friends to find the dressing room.

Auriana was the first to the door the dressing room "um Mr. Sky person." She knocked innocently, hopping nervously as she waited for a response. Then slowly looked at her friends as they approached.

"Is it locked?" Talia asked jiggling the door knob, before opening door uninvited.

The door opened out into a small bare room, poorly lit by a few standing lamps. A chest and desk with tarnished mirror propped on top, the beaked mask of a crow placed carelessly on its edge.

The trio of princesses entered the room "Hello?" Iris spoke in the seemly empty room.

"Um." A collective jump rippled through the group, at the response from the comer besides the door.

Another light was turned on as the dark green tipped haired teen stood up. He stared at girls with tired makeup paled face, dressed black feathered custom of the ballets evil minions.

The girls stared briefly his lean muscled form before looking, noticing he was staring right back at them "sorry, uh. We're looking Soren, are you sharing this room with him?" Auriana asked

The male raised an eyebrow before narrowing his orange colored eyes "I'm Soren." He answered. Specious.

Silence grew in the room, the girls shifted awkwardly not a single one knows how to proceed. The image of the glowing stranger of the night before and expectation of meeting him again was shattered. Iris wished that she made Lyna and Carissa tag along, one of would of surely know how to proceed.

"Can we close the door?" The supposed Soren asked moving to sit on the chest his body tense.

"Sure." Talia flung the door closed, clicking shut as she moved further into the room.

"So, hi we're LoilRock and-"

"Yes."

"hu?" Iris blinked at his statement interrupting her introduction.

He gave her an exhausted look "Yes, I'm that Soren, from last night and yes I'm good. I won't hurt anyone." He said with a cool finality, his gloved fingers drumming the chest.

Another bout of silenced fill the space, the girls looked at him with shock and annoyed at being shut down twice.

"Can't breathe! Can't breathe!" The chest under Soren shook violently. The group by startled the muffled voice within.

Soren pounded on the lid his face one of annoyance "No, you have to stay in there!"

"Is there someone in there?" Talia ask as the chest bucked the male dancer to the floor.

"ho, ho, ho! Multiple someone's." another voice chuckled from the box.

Soren threw himself on to the chest "Stay! Stay!" he shouted in the used for scolding a dog.

Auriana playfully pushed the young man off the box "Oh, just let them out." She smiled thinking it just nothing of could possibly be inside as she flipped open the lid.

The chest was flung open three round blurs shooting to the ceiling "Freedom!" a reverberating squeaky voice came from one of the blurs, as they flitted about, knocking to thing.

One of blurs slowed stopping to float in front of Auriana 's face. A creature with swirling orange and blue skin and a bulbous body, it faces accused like a Picasso panting "Thank you so much miss, it was stuffy in there." It chuckled shaking her finger with one spindly limb tilting a pointed cap the other.

Auriana smiled through repulsed by the thing touching her, nodding as the creature yammered praise.

Soren look angrily at another red and yellow bulbous entity "give me that!" he pulled a small bundle of pink fabric out of its grasp.

"Well, you're welcome." It sneered floating off into the chest.

Iris spoke up gently trying to push the blue creature away from Auriana "That are these things?" as Talia looked around for the third one.

"Imps, they torment me." Soren looked distressed.

A mint and baby pink head of the third imp shot up making buzzing sound over his shoulder "Wrong." It said in a squeaky voice, receiving a hardy smack from Soren sending the balloonish imp against the wall.

"We are sky imps, our existence is to serve the evilest sorcerer in the Wingdom." The blue imp pick right with an explanation that turned the male performer's face red.

"Wingdom?"

"Evil!?"

A strong gust of wind silences the three princess's frantic questions "I just said I wasn't evil." Soren sighed the pink bundle leaking a bright cyan magic "I can't right now." He grabbed the crow mask tucking pink fabric under his arm "Jumble, Mumble, Snarl give them the location of the gallery." He said curtly leaving the room slamming the door after him.

"Hey, um." Iris walked up to the sky imp the Soren smacked into the wall.

There was a brief shift of a color in the imp's cheek color "umm, Mumble miss." The green imp answered sheepishly

The Ephedian princess smiled at the tiny monster "What's the Wingdom?" she sweetly asked the imp.

Mumble gave a smile and Iris could see that the green imp had an extra eye "The Wingdom is the vast realm of Helios, nobody up there calls it by that name." The imp giggled with each word.

Auriana jumped on Iris's line of thinking looking down on the blue imp that was clinging to her arm "Is Helios in the sky? Eh Jumble?" She guessed the imps name as she asked

The blue imp nodded with his own lopsided grin "Right oh madam! Not earth's sky's thought, no no." Jumble let go of her are and began to scribbled directions on a piece of paper "Here's the location of the secret gallery of Helios" Jumble folded it up and handed it to her.

"Thanks, we should get going." She moved to the door "Iris, Talia?" she looked back over to her friends Iris still chatting up mumble and Talia staring at the underside of the chest's lids.

"Who's this woman in all these pictures?" The Xerin princess asked the last imp, presumably Snarl, who sat at the and pouted at the bottom. Talia looked at the pictures of a tall imposing woman standing in dramatic poses, or smiling happily with a group of the same five teen dressed in outrageous clothes from the nineties, blanked the lid.

The red imp sniffed up at the photographs with its pointy nose before answering "Skyla queen of the Wingdom, these pictures are when she was on earth." It answered voice jaded "Coward hid her self away, and let foreign warriors to handle the civil war she started."

"A Civil war? In the sky?" Iris attention was pulled away from Mumble at that information.

"Hehe yes, it's a nasty thing." Snarl poked its head out of its hiding place to look at her "one that was ended and restarted by the birth by Soren."

"It's wired that an evil sorcerer would help us." Auriana stated staring at Soren's mother.

"Well Soren is in the Wingdom so…" Mumble looked at them with a nervous giggle.

"Plus, we'd surly be dead on earth if weren't his." Snarl made faux gagging noises between bursts of laughter "kindness."

The princesses looked at keeping their intrupration of what the two imps said to themselves. "We need to get back." Iris said realizing the amount of time that based

"Bye-bye pretty ladies." Mumble saluted them as walked out the door.

"Oh, please visit us at the gallery, tomorrow?"

 _ **(AN: Sorry if things are a little wonky, did some changes to fit season two better. So, I'll just call this AU. Tell me what you think, where would you like to see the story go? Also, sorry for such a late post.)**_


	3. Chapter 3: the reveal

Chapter 3: the reveal

It was early morning in the practice room as the group lounged around the piece of paper the imps had given them slowly passed around to each princess. Each one of them letting out a sigh not waiting to have the paper in their hands, the paper was eventually ended up on the coffee table where Iris looked at it conflicted. "We don't have to go today." She offered looking at Talia and Auriana, the others had head back to Ephedia for an important meeting.

"Can we just not go?" Auriana stared wearily the scribbles on the paper, the direction to wherever the imps want them to go was illegible to almost every language. "I mean he's not that cute." She said with a little unconvincingly.

Talia gave a huff and sighed "It might be a trap."

"With those imps, I don't think he could pull off a plan like that." Iris tried to defuse her friend's apprehensions.

"But the twins tried something like this." Auriana wined, the opposite reaction Iris wanted her to have.

"Yeah but, that's the twins." She giggled, plans like that would never worked out for the Mephisto and Praxina.

Talia gave a nod of understanding "Yes, but I can name three things he's got that the twins don't." She glanced at Auriana before her could interject "And it's not, Jumble, Mumble or Snarl."

The green-eyed princess crossed her arms and hmphed a "Well, Talia you said he's protecting us because of you." She looked at Talia with something close to jealousy "What do you what to do with him."

With nervous glace Iris between Talia and Auriana. Talia's honey-colored gaze turning cold and introspective, Iris wonders if Auriana had hurt her feelings.

"Fine let's do it." Talia sighed picking up the piece of paper.

The tree princess locked hands to do a locating spell on the piece of paper. The magic circle glowed making the room seem dark in comparison, the scribbled-on piece of paper floated in the air turning into a ball of yellow light. The ball grew and expanded into an image of flat roof buildings interspersed with round colorful building like someone had painted giant insect hives.

The giant building sparking something in her memory "High Hope?" Iris blinked in recognition pulling back breaking the image.

As the lights in the room adjusted Iris glanced at the confused faces of her friends. "High Hope Art Academy, it's a little way's out of town, kid's and teen that to don't do well in normal schools go there." She tried to explain before pull out her phone "Here if we leave now it's only an hour bus ride." She shows a list of city bus routes that had a stop at that school to them.

Talia and Auriana nodded as they gather up somethings and moved out of the practice room and to the front door.

"Hi, girls where you heading?" The group stopped at the sound of Aunt Ellen's voice as she stepped out of the kitchen

Iris stammers for the right answer but deiced on a half-truth "To High Hope, it might a potently venue for LoilRock."

Aunt Ellen stared at them before laughing "Oh, sweeties let me drive you, remember you still need to set up the stage for your performance at the botanical gardens tomorrow night."

The trio nodded in appreciation and brief car ride to the coastal cliff side outside of Sunny Bay, they pulled into the parking lot of High Hope Art Academy. The conflicting architecture spotting the hills and cliffs.

"So, the front office is over there, I going to take a tour of the student galleries." Iris's Aunt pulled into a parking spot on the main campus "Just text me if you need anything."

"See you soon."

"Thank you for the ride."

The girls waved to her as they exited her car and made there was across the parking lot. Turning away from the doors to the offices at the last moment, they began to search for the secret gallery that Soren had mentioned. Peering into classrooms and both dance and art studios, grumbling on who the imps should have learned to write better.

"You hear that?" Talia's head suddenly shot up, her head turning to look at something in the distance.

Auriana tilled her head trying figure out what the Xerin princess was talking about "Hear what?" She shrugged.

"This way." Talia hastily jogged off to a far corner of the campus.

Iris and Auriana followed her throughout the school, letting her stop now and again. Talia was on the trail of some sort of phantom sound and it was the only clue the trio had to go on. A short goose chase, the trio found themselves in front of a small building done in that bizarre painted hive style. There was a glass door that looked like a giant pair of dragonfly wings, on either side of the door was labor sized statues of floppy eared dogs.

Iris kneeled down to read an engraving under one of the statues "Whirl and Twirl, greatest companions and greatest protectors." She frowned and read the rest of the inscription "Nineteen eighty-seven to two thousand and five."

Auriana petted one of the dog statues "Aw poor puppies."

"Eighteen years is a long life for dogs." Iris tried to comfort her.

"Still." Auriana's eyes watered as she gave a small sigh.

"This door has a magic barrier." Talia said more focused on the door "There is a chance that we'll get shocked if we enter." She looked at her friends worried.

"Why would he do that?" Iris was starting to think that he might be more of an evil wizard, than protector or prince after all.

"Maybe it'll only zap evil people." The green-eyed princess said optimistically.

Talia gave a thoughtful nod "Together." She said the placed her hand against the magical barrier.

The two joined her as they quickly pushed the door open into a room brimming with a loud string of music.

"What is this place?" Iris moved to what appeared in be an inside balcony and see's it was the start of a long spiral staircase.

On further inspection of the long stairwell, the trio of princesses noticed something far more interesting. Along the wall of the decentering spiral were hundreds of music boxes, everyone playing the exact same tune.

"Hey!" The green imp Mumble zipped up the stairs to meet them "B-boss! The pretty ladies are here."

"Ho ho!" The jovial voice of the blue imp floated up to see them "Come on down, don't mind the music."

Carefully the group made there around the looping stairs to the platform Soren had been waiting for them on. His eyes trained forlornly at music boxes as the girls got closer to him.

"Why are they all playing the same song?" Talia was the first to get a word in.

"These are portals to my home realm." Soren gave a sigh not looking at her "The song is a distress signal."

"Helios must be pretty big." Auriana said impressed.

"Yeah, I've never seen all of it." He looked at the three girls with a tried sadness "Mom made me hide on earth since I was like three." He moved to hold one of the boxes "Been moving around between my aunts and uncles, while this music plays"

"I was baby when I was sent to earth, Garmorr and his dark magic has hurt all our realms." Iris said out of sympathy "He might do the same to yours."

The sky prince said nothing as he continued to listen to never-ending music.

"Do you want to help your people?" She asked him instead.

"I want them to stop fighting." He sounded like a child talking about his parents.

In a way he was. The imps had let it slip after all that the civil war what was happing in his realm start because of his mother and his own birth.

"Could you help them if it wasn't your people's debt to Xeris?" Talia said with concern.

He gave a sigh "Maybe."

"Tali?" Auraina tried to talk to her but was cut off.

"Soren!"

The dark-haired teen startled by the honey-eyed princess voice turned to look at her fully.

"I Talia, princess of Xeris." She looked at Soren and smiled "Reveal you of your people's debt."

The young man's shoulders slumped in relief "Thank you."

"But." She held a finger up to him "Once the civil war in your realm is over you as Prince Helios must return to help us defeat Garmorr."

He gave smile "Consider it done!"

The building shook violently the suddenness of it all knocking every one-off balance. The music boxes rattle on their perches, the stairwell bouncing on the wall.

When the tremor ceased Soren's, expression went stern and said: "It seems that'll have to assist you in one last battle." The from his pocket pulled out the bundle of pink a fabric.

The girls nodded and transformed then upon then made there way up the flight of stairs. As a fully transformed Soren leaped over them cape fluttering like a pair of wings.

"Is it the knight?" Auraina asked him as looked out the door.

Moving aside he let them the crystal-covered worried on his stead being chased by Mephisto and Praxina. The twin's cackling down at knight sneering as they heard him between two buildings.

"Should we just let them fight it out?" Iris asked.

Several dark spells cast as the knight was drawn deeper into a corner.

"Come on, it's clear you're doing well fight in close spaces."

"Maybe you shouldn't have taken those hits for those human children."

Soren shook his head as the taunts of Mephisto and Praxina. With a flick of his hand, he sent his imps out to the battleground that hours before had been a school campus.

"Boo!" Snarl wedged himself between the twins.

Praxina let out a coo of interest before shirking in disgust "What is that!"

"Imps, m'lady." Jumble answered his balloon of like body drifting across her line of sight. Then swiftly dodged a swiped her hand "what was that for?"

"Go away!" She continued to scream at the imps

"I got them!" Her brother said trying to clumsily trying to hold on to the three sky creatures.

"Crystal Colidum!" a tricolored crystal whizzed past the twins as the three princesses made a collective warning shot.

Seeing the opportunity, the striped equine and its rider bolted from the fight. Galloping off to a distant cliff side.

Praxina let out an angry growl "I'll get the knight, you handle this mess!" She shouted at her brother before flying off after the warrior.

The chase the child's play for Praxina she knew the cliffs would be a current dead end for the warrior. She had moved to cut him off only to the knight jump off his stead and fell off like the rock down the cliff and tumbled down to the craggy sore below. She hovered down to the knight's still body, perplexed by what would make proud warrior to such a thing. Her eyes fell on the jagged gem sticking out the reflex surface the armored chest.

After what she has seen of the knight her master would be better off with the large jewel then it's wielder. Placing her feet on a set of rocks she gripped the sharp maroon gem and pulling on it. She funneled her magic power in her arms and jewel sent sparks out in return as the reflective black of the armor crack and shift. Praxina let out a giggle of delight as she held the jewel in her hands. She could feel the absolute untapped magic that sparks in her grasp.

Turning to leave the still warrior stranded on the rocks, only to see that the knight had disappeared. In a fact, the interworld around changed unreservedly unnoticed. "What is this place?" Her accusatory voice echoed back from cavernous walls.

She walked around in confused staring at massive pillars of stained glass and webs of golden strings in the slick floor. The wild gem she held pulsing energy as the large pillars began to the spin glow with a similar primal power. The magic spun and mixed with the light as her body grew heavy "Gaw!" Praxina let out a noise as she fell on her hands and feet. the feeling of her magic being ripped out of her body.

A pale apparition danced at the corner of Praxina's eye. Lifting her head, it fulling look at the stranger jagged her.

The woman was deathly skinny with pointy ears that judged out of translucent hair. Her large cherry red eye's filled with manic laughter at the prone Praxina. With bony fingers, she pulled at the young sorceress face spidering down to rip the wild gem from her grasp.

Praxina gasped falling back on her own cape. The ghostly woman summoning up writhing tendril of lighting from the gem readying to bring them down on her like a whip.

"Next time you'll be more careful when touching something you don't own."

The crackling distortion of the knight made Praxina's eye snap open. Heart pounding, she looked at the fractured and disintegrating armor of the warrior. She tried to laugh but failed, finally understanding why Garrmor needed the knight.

* * *

"Where is your brother!" Garrmor's burned like a physical blow as his image glared from a crystal pillar.

"He's coming Lord Garrmor." Parxina tried to keep her expression neutral through her insides where shaking. She had let the stone covered warrior wade into the ocean as it tried to put the gem back in his armor, the side effect of the maroon gem had paralyzed her. When she'd returned to the human academy the battle she'd left to Mephisto to handle was over.

Her mind had jumped to the worst conclusion. while Parxina knew that the princesses didn't have the stomach to kill her brother. Kidnapping and torture her twin might not be out of the realm of thought for them.

"Mephisto!"

Parxina jumped and turned to look at cave entrance then the grand wizard called out her brother's name. Her annoyance and worry turned to shame as she watched him enter half soaked with the three sky imps clinging to him.

"What are those?" Garrmor asked though the dry irritation in his voice told the twins that he knew and was displeased.

Mumble answered before the young sorcerer could "Imps! oh, tall scary one."

"Mephisto how did you find these imps?"

"Ho-ho!" This time Jumble was the one to answer "He was clearly more versed in the evil arts than our last boss." He gave a playful shrug "So, we are compelled to be in his service."

"I see." The wizard's tone turned bored and cold "So, what delayed your master form reporting to me?"

"Nixie hunting."

"Nymph not nixie!"

"Nixies don't sing."

"Lord Garrmor!"Red-faced Mephisto finally spoke up "These creatures merely distracted me from searching for the knight or the Oracle Gems."

"Well, incompetence leads incompetence. Learn to control your minion's tongues before trying to excuse your failure." With those words, Garrmor's image vanished from the pillar.

Standing in the darkened castle the Garrmor turned another pillar where Lev stood with a smug expression.

"I take it you are less incompetence." It was not a question.

Lev just smiled "look for yourself." He pulled back a tree branch to show him the grazing creature called Intrepid "I'll have your ancient warrior by the end of the day."

With nothing more than a nod, Garrmor left Lev to his hunt.

Lev moves to a better hiding space, knowing the that the stead would not take him to the knight if startled. He had to stalk the equine and rodents under the stone brut's command and now he was closer then he could have imagined.

The zebra stripes cute raised their fang head sniffing the air before trotting off.

Stealthily Lev followed the horse like monster to a cave hidden behind a mound of fallen rocks. He could feel an ominous power flowing from the dark hole. He sat and waited for Intrepid to emerged yet, the creature didn't emerge as the sky grew dark.

As night fell he's patient ran thin and he moved to the mouth of the cave. He smiled seeing animal takes under the dark shard of his target's armor. He moved deeper into the cave to find the remains of a small fire and a pile of clothes. They seemed too small for an adult and out of curiosity move closer to the pile. There was sharp crack as lights bopped across his vision as the ground rushed up to him. When he came to his senses there was someone kneeling over him.

"Hey!" A soft, quiet voice called to him "Hey!" Lev blinked as he patted on the check "I think I might have given you brain damage."

His vision focused and he looks up at the gentle face of a human female teen. Her lager dark eyes the color of untweeted tea and delicate petals lip pull into a frown. The girl's hair was an unkempt mane of golds and browns like the leaves of an autumn tree.

"You're not a man." He let out a confused croak

The girl let out radiance laugh "aww that's so sweet." She breathed and sighed "But I'm not interested in dating murderers."

Her words made the world snap into focus and he lunged at the human. To his surprise she dogged and he caught a wooden training staff. He was not in the mood to be beaten over the head again and took the weapon out of her hands.

His icy eyes winded as she rammed her shoulder in his gut. Though the sudden closeness was he need to place the spell that freezes her in space. He let out a breath and stared the girl, she was feral compared to other humans her age. The looked around that cave and the training staff as new revelation struck him.

He stood up and released her from the spell "Where is your master." He looked at her disorientated form.

"Master?" She groaned "Oh, you're one of those." She lay back on the dirt floor the cave "You want that rock guy."

Lev kneeled beside her "Yes, where is he?" he narrowed his gaze menacingly at him.

She just smiled shrugged "I don't know he just comes and goes."

Lev was a skilled liar, and he found fail lies like assassin finding hole in a kingdom defends. The vagabond of a teen had given a half-truth, just enough of a lie to tell she was hiding something.

"So, are you like his squire?" He tried to create a leading question to get any information.

The human wouldn't let as she vaguely giggled "We share a space, I do things for him."

"Listen I need to meet him." He gave an irate sigh "I've been hired by someone, to make sure he agrees to a partnership."

"What's in it for me?"

Lev blinked and then smiled as he said: "What do you want?"

* * *

"Deal's off I've changed my mind!"

"What?" Lev almost laughed at the human girl.

With her thick mane pulled back into a messy bun and pants accessories to go along a gray tunic shirt. He knew she made herself look as much as a non-transcend teenager to make him wait a whole day then to shut down on their agreement.

Unwilling to renegotiate a new deal, with time running out to show Garrmor the stone warrior. He looked around the darkened gated garden in front of him to see what could have scared her out of her own plan. "Oh, do a little pop group ruin our date." He chuckled seeing the unmistakable stage of LoliRock.

The girl crossed her arm mumbled something face darkening with embarrassment.

He gave her a mischievous smile "Come on, I know how to make this worth your while." Taking her arms and leading her behind the stage "Stand guard." He said poking his head in the backstage changing trailer.

"This isn't changing my mind." The brown-eyed girl mutter but let him slip inside.

She then glanced around worried to see if some had noticed them. The froze like a rabbit smelling a snake, as her large eyes falling on a venomous green pair. The stranger stared at her like a predator and she made herself smile at him in hopes it made herself less specious.

Awkwardly the green-eyed male smiled back and waved to her as if she was a friend. He was then quickly away pulled by a blue-eyed girl seemed to be nagging the boy as she did so.

Where was a moment of relief for the brown eye girl "What are you doing?" She said startled as she felt fingers working out the hair out its bun.

Lev merely 'shushed her as he works to pulled her mass of hair into a ponytail. She felt him slide something into the scrap of cloth that held her hair up.

"What did you put my hair?" She turned to Lev trying to feel the ponytail he created. Only to see the platinum blond teen had disappeared.

"Hi, there!"

She spun around to see Auriana bouncing up to her all dressed up in a glittery performance outfit.

"I love that flower clip!" Auriana giggled "I have one just like it."

"Thanks?" Was all the girl could say her expression frozen with the realization of what Lev put in her hair.

"Are you shy?" Auriana's eye's widened and took the girls hands "Iris told me about shy people!"

"Auriana show time!" Talia's voice called out.

"Bye shy person." Auriana whispered to her as if she was small animal before running off.

Lev remerged his shoulders shaking the silent laughter amused by the prank he had created.

The brown-eyed girl shifted pulling the shoulder bag she had "Not funny." Her cheeks turned red with blush.

Lev gave a nonchalant smirk "Fine what do you want to do?"

As the music started from the performance and she leads Lev away from the crowd to a set of benches by a large fire pit. "Sit." She said sliding into the one benches.

"Really this is how you wanted to spend your night?" Lev set down beside her rather confused.

"I like company." She said absently.

He was aware of that. Lev considered it foolish to rat out a powerful ally for a couple hours with a stranger. "What about your master?" He asked now seeing the loneliness in the light that reflected her dark eyes.

"He doesn't human very well." She pulled her legs closes to her chest "I don't human well either."

Lev didn't respond knowing that either he could turn her suffering into a joke or tell her he wasn't good a being 'human' himself. Those options would just distress her and he would lose his chance to successfully do his job.

His gaze focused on the distant crowd of the concert and saw Mephisto and Praxina on the outer edge. Even disguised as humans it was so obviously them he wondered why the twins even tried. Lev knew they wouldn't attack him not with the princesses so close, not in the wake of a fresh failure.

"So, do you know that your boss wants from him?" The human finally asked.  
"I don't know." Lev honestly didn't care what Garrmor wanted he could be setting up a tea party for all he knew. Lev jumped as he felt the girl's head rested on his shoulder and started at the hair ornament that he stole for her. The fabric and rhinestone bloom stood out like an Ephedian wildflower against the fall colors of her hair.

"I'm Opalite."

"Lev." He flinched inwardly at the simple exchange. He didn't want to know her name, he'd hoped these moments as impersonal as possible. The girl, Opalite, was a contirdiction compared to the other humans he'd encountered. The less she talked the more he seemed to knew about her, the more he saw himself.

The worse part of it was that when everything was set and done he'd leave her. No one, not even the girl resting against him would make him weak.

The area grew silent as the concert ended and Opalite stood up "I'm done." Her voice was tight as if she was fighting tears "I'll take you to him now."

Lev stood up looking to see if could still locate the twin then said: "Let's go." When he couldn't see them.

Together they made there out with the crowd of people and continued out into the road that leads deeper into the woods. Lev watched her gracefully lead him through the growing darkness and wondered how easy it would be to forget her.

A red spiral of light appeared in front of them and Opalite jumped back reflectively "That far enough!" Praxina held out her hand forming a magic circle, threating attacks them.

Lev called out the young witch's bluff and shot a crystal projectile at her. "Run!" He shouted to Opalite, the girl had froze, trying to process the sudden exchange.

Praxina growled and summoned up her duel rapiers and rushed at him with a furry.

That was all the human needed to see, to spin around and run blindly into the forest.

"Stop! not so fast!" The group of imps popped out of the brush in front of Opalite.

"Ouch!" The sky creatures screamed as the human use her purse to smack them aside.

Her fingers slipped and her bag when she tried to get another hit in. She gasped as the pursed sent flying into the black of the forest.

"Heh, missed us." The imps giggled as they creep toward her.

Opalite fearful step backward at the creatures approached. Only to stumble back into the gloved hold of Mephisto "Let go of me!" She screamed and struggled against his grip.

"Not a chance." The green-eyed wizard chuckled.

After all, he found his songstress, while the human that struggled against him was the meek soul he thought she was. It was unmistakably her, that's what mattered him at that moment. Praxina was hesitant earlier when he wanted to take the girl captive. Not the information he had learned about the Melanosthro, a rare beast so powerful they could use it to overthrow Garrmor with could convince her. Only see Lev did his sister relent and consider what he had to say.

"He won't save me."

Mephisto look confused at Opalite who had stopped struggling.

"If you don't let me go, right now then the warrior. The knight of Jewlrestdom, Garrmor seeks is gone forever." Though she didn't lift her head to him each word held a threat.

His mind stopped her hadn't considered that the knight might have been the keeper of the Melanosthro and not the human. While that was a logical line of thinking especially with how the human could possibly have knowledge of Garrmor. A small part of him advised to keep the human, the connection to the beast and the knight would be enough to satisfy Garrmor and his own curiosity.

"Go and bring him here!" He let her go and shoved her forward taking a risk "But if try to run and hide." His green eye's bore into her brown ones "I'll find you and make you'll regret it."

Opalite gave him a strange look that he didn't understand before running off into the darkness.

"Mephisto!" Praxina saw he brother reenter the battle "Where's the girl?"

Mephisto gave a sheepish look "She kicked me."

Lev burst into laughter and Praxina gave her brother a murderous look.

"It really hurt."

"Boss help us!" The tree imps jumped out of the brushes as the two dewizzel chased them down hungrily.

Mephisto suppressed a smile as hear the crashing noise which signaled his deal with the human was successful.

"Stand down!" The light from the accent warrior's gem pulsed like a beacon with the boom their voice. The reflective crystal covered warrior then harshly grabbed Lev by shoulders "you best get out of here boy." The stone monster growled shoving something into Lev's hand "go!"

The twins attempted to go after the pale-haired teen but the knights next words stopped them cold.

"Show me Garrmor!"

Mephisto and Praxina stared at each other with conflicted expression at being handed a victory. Together the summoned up a connection to their master a dark crystal pyre appearing from nothing.

"So, we finally make an acquaints with each other." Garrmor spoke in a formal tone.

The knight was not as cordial "Why you do send you slaves to hunt me wizard."

"Slaves?" The masked wizard gave a small chuckle "You must have a misconception on how a treat my minions."

The dewizzels tired with imps snaked up the dark armorer rubbing and nuzzling against the stone entity "I have no interest in being your slave."

"I have no interest in making you one." The wizard's tone was one of restrained irritation "I simply want to free you from the vex you placed on yourself."

"Vex?"

"You search for royal's magic to save an ancient land whose rulers abandoned it."Garrmor spoke as if he was revealing a secret "The truth is the only person you need to break that curse, is you?"

"That makes no sense." The knight absently pated one of the head of the clinging rodents.

"Sh."

The stone entity looked over at the twins who were whispering to each other.

"Not yet, but if you join me it all be clear." Garrmor said to regain the warriors' attention.

"What's in it for you?" The knight said

"To simply study you. You are the only living connection to a culture in which magic and people like us were held at the same level as kings." The wizard answered, "we most defiantly could create a mutual relationship."

Then suddenly the air in front of the stone warrior rippled and tared opened into a portal.

"The door is open. Do you accept?" The grand wizard asked.

"I do." The knight answered stepping through the portal.

Meanwhile, Lev had gotten far enough away to inspect the bundle he was given by the warrior. Pulling back the covering his heart's rhythm jumped in speed. The fabric flower clip he stole for Opalite and a folded letter. His stomach twisted and mouth went dry as he read the note, because it was the truth.

(AN: I'm unsure if I should continue with the fic. This anyone interested in where this is going? I'd like to keep writing it. Leave a review and tell me what you think.)


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